All the times McDonald's took us by surprise

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McDonald's launches new Aussie beef burger

McDonald's is launching a new burger on Wednesday, which will only be available in stores for a limited time.

But fear not, it will also be available as part of the McDelivery menu, so staying home doesn't need to mean missing out on trying this one.

It features a burger patty made from locally-sourced grass fed beef and is topped with Jack cheese, crispy bacon, a leaf of lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, creamy garlic aioli and tomato onion relish... and all served in a white bun.

"We're thrilled to be serving up this burger and continuing our support of Aussie farmers with the introduction of the Grass Fed Beef Burger," McDonald's Australia Marketing Director Jo Feeney said.

"McDonald's has a long-standing commitment to our local farmers and the agricultural industry and supporting them is at the heart of our business.

"To launch the new Grass Fed Beef Burger, McDonald's will purchase an additional 160 metric tonnes of certified grass fed beef from Australian producers," he added.

2 of 111Attribution: Getty

McDonalds to only offer drive-thru only in Ohio due to coronavirus outbreak

McDonald's restaurants in Ohio have shut their dining rooms in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The fast food giant is closing 24 of its stores in the state, only accepting orders via Drive-Thru.

A sign was placed on the door of the McDonald's stores, advising customers of the dining room closures.

"Our top priority is to keep you, our employees and our community safe," the sign read.

"Out of an an abundance of caution, we are proactively closing the dining rooms in all of our 24 McDonald's restaurants in Northeast Ohio until further notice."

3 of 111Attribution: https://goldenarchesunlimited.com/

Ever dreamt of living in a home that always smelt like a fresh Quarter Pounder? Well now you have that opportunity - just by burning a scented candle.

"Do you have a burning love for the Quarter Pounder?" the description on the Golden Arches United website reads, before asking the thought provoking question, "Would you like some burning candles too?"

The candles come in a set of of 6, inspired by none other than the classic Quarter Pounder ingredients : Bun, Ketchup, Pickle, Cheese, Onion and 100% Fresh Beef, a recipe for scented candle success.

"Burn together for maximum deliciousness," the site suggests.

It's still listed as 'coming soon' on the website with no prices listed yet but we're sure that the delicious combination will sell out in no time.

4 of 111Attribution: Supplied

The new McDonald's McVeggie burger divides opinion over taste

January 15, 2020: The jury might still be out (and a little confused) on exactly what plant-based means, but what we do know in this new decade, is that an interest in a more plant-focused way of eating is a trend that's not going to go away. Frankly, at 9Honey, we hope that it just slips innocuously into being the new normal without too much fuss, because we're all for the variety, options, and the way it makes us think a little bit more about what we are eating.

So, we were thrilled to hear McDonald's has finally joined the bandwagon of plant-based eating, launching today (15 January, 2020) its first ever vegetable-based burger, Australia-wide. Behold, the permanent addition of the McVeggie burger to their menu.

Wait, what? This is the first time they've catered for a meat-free option right across the country? Well, we're so glad they are doing it now.

Much like those of other big, fast-food chains, the meat-free option comes with the disclaimer that while there is no meat product in the burger, the methods of production and handling mean it can't be sold as strictly vegetarian, because it's processed along with meat products.

"For those who are vegetarian, although there are no meat ingredients in the McVeggie Burger, due to its cooking procedure, it's not strictly vegetarian," said Jenni Dill, Chief Marketing Officer for McDonald's Australia in the press release.

Now, before everyone kicks up a stink about this (just like with the backlash around similar products from Burger King and other chains), we're actually okay with the plant-based burger being available without ticking all the vegetarian boxes. We think this is really about options and awareness, and it's not just vegetarians that like to cut back on their consumption of meat. It's a great chance for people to try branching out, to taste something new and to take a step in the plant-based direction. It's a shame it can't be called strictly vegetarian, but we don't think it's a reason not to give the new burger a go.

We just welcome the idea of the new plant-based (not vegetarian) burger, and hope this is the beginning of the 'new normal'.

Hooray for options. We're keen.

But we still thought it was worth getting the opinions of the burger lovers in the office at 9Honey - and boy were opinions divided... from loving the crunch factor to feeling 'tricked'. Read on for the real-deal feedback.

"The best thing about the new McVeggie burger is its crunch factor," says one of our lifestyle writers with a long history writing about food. "The patty is mushy on the inside and ultra crunchy on the outside, even more so than the McChicken patty it's clearly trying to win a lookalike contest with. Frankly, anything that's crispy golden fried then slapped between two buns with mayo, is probably going to be okay by me. "

One of our vegetarian journalists was pretty happy to see the burger arrive.

"I can't believe it took them so long. They had them in the UK and America years ago, but then they seemed to disappear! And in Dubai they had them too – a Veggie Deluxe it was called. They are tasty- and layered with the typical Macca's mayo lettuce and tomato! "

But this response seemed to cover how plenty of non-vegetarians felt.

"It was good, but I wouldn't buy it. I felt, sort of, 'tricked' when biting into it because my mind was thinking 'McChicken' but once you bite into it, it's clearly not that. It tasted good, but I guess because it had all the Macca's toppings. "

A sauce lover joined the debate.

"Pleasantly surprised, tasted kinda like a McChicken although that is more about the condiments I think.The pattie itself was tasty and more dense than I expected. Not sure I'd ever order one (if I'm going to Macca's I'm getting meat) but no complaints here ."

While this taste-tester liked the veg friendly offering.

"It tastes a lot like a corn fritter. I appreciate McDonald's jumping on the vegetarian and vegan bandwagon, and the flavour is all there! "

But it still comes down to why you're at Macca's in the first place...

"My go-to order at McDonald's is a double cheeseburger, so the McVeggie is something very different. The flavour of the patty is good, it tastes a bit like a corn fritter, actually seeing veggies in it like peas was a bit of a shock (in a good way) but overall not bad... the sauce is great though ."

Convincing enough to keep us away from a Big Mac? That's up to you.

The McVeggie Burger will be available after 10:30am at all McDonald's restaurants across Australia.

Click through for more McDonald's news.

5 of 111Attribution: McDonald's

McDonald's is bringing back yet another fan favourite for summer

December 19, 2019: McDonald's has saved the biggest and best for last, announcing the return of the Grand Big Mac on the back of the re-release of the popular El Maco burger.

The supersized take on the Big Mac levels up with larger patties, extra toppings and an upgraded bun. Why it's not called the "Bigger Mac", we'll never know.

The Grand Big Mac is set to hit menus just before Christmas, available from Monday December 23 until Tuesday Februrary 4, giving fans plenty of opportunity to get a taste.

It will mark the first time the Grand Big Mac has been added to Aussie menus since its May 2018 release, which coincided with the fast food chain's 50th anniversary.

Click through for more McDonald's news.

6 of 111Attribution: Instagram/Bruno Bouchet

McDonald's earns surprising result in hot chip ranking

December 5, 2019: Bruno Bouchet has once again sparked debate with his latest food ranking — this time, listing some of the country's most popular hot chips from 'God Tier' to 'Cat Vomit Tier'.

Bouchet defends his ranking, saying he spent two months trying the various products.

"I feel I've put in so much research and study into it... People are coming at me with opinions, but I feel I've got the facts," he tells 9Honey Kitchen.

Bouchet was particularly diligent about Maccas fries, dedicating an entire month to investigating his hypothesis.

"I had a feeling the issue with McDonald's chips was the lack of consistency," he explains.

"If you get a good batch, it's the greatest serving of chips you'll ever have, but the theory is you'll only get that 10 per cent of the time."

Of the 60 serves of Maccas chips Bouchet sampled, he said eight were "perfect", 33 were "average", and 19 were "terrible".

He adds that some of the chips in the ranking were so good, it only took two samples to convince him of their value.

The beloved KFC chip also didn't fare well, landing in the bottom tier, which has drawn ire from Instagram commenters.

"The seasoning's fantastic, but [when I] removed it, the chip would be undercooked, a bit too starchy, really soggy. Without the seasoning it's really not a powerful chip," Bouchet reasons.

7 of 111Attribution: Twitter: @Mcdonalds

McDonald's test Crispy Chicken Sandwich amid 'Chicken Wars'

December 3, 2019: Arriving fashionably late to the "Chicken Sandwich Wars" scene, McDonald's has just launched their own chicken sandwich range in the US.

The news comes more than three months after US chain Popeyes launched their now-viral Chicken Sandwich — widely considered the best, sparking a national craze.

The fast food giant first made the announcement via their official Twitter account, posting an image of a McDonald's branded paper pouch, resembling Chick-fil-A's chicken sandwich packaging, printed with the text: "12/2 Knoxville + Houston", hinting at the launch date (December 2) and cities.

The account then went on to confirm there will be not one, but two new chicken sandwiches.

"Our two new delicious chicken sandwiches! The Crispy Sandwich is simply topped with butter and crinkle cut dill pickles while the Deluxe is topped with tomatoes, lettuce, and mayo. Both served on a tasty buttery potato roll".

But since launching the Twitterverse has been lighting up with rave reviews. Click through for a sneak peek of the new menu item.

Posting to the McDonald's Australia Instagram account, the restaurant chain set out to explain with instructional graphics how you can combine your burger, fries and drink into a package that can be carried with a single hand.

"Fancy a one-handed meal? Simply unfold your burger box to make a fries tray, then perch it on your soft drink. Easy as."

However, some unimpressed fans claim to have tried the hack, with disasterous results, while others simply blasted the pointless tip, with comments ranging from "What else have you got?" to "Putting hot food on top of a cold drink ain't a good idea".

"My burger just fell on the ground ... screw you," wrote one disappointed fan.

"Mine fell. Don't do it you will have to buy another one," warned one user, while another left their prediction: "the weight of the burger would bend the plastic straw when you try to pick it up dropping all your food".

However, others commented that the tip was a "game changer" and "mind blown," with many more writing that they wished they'd known the hack sooner.

"Been living my life wrong for so many years," lamented one McDonald's patron.

10 of 111Attribution: McDonald's Australia

The El Maco and Shaker Fries are back — but not for long

November 28, 2019: One of Maccas' most requested burgers since 2012 has returned to menus — but fans had better get in quick, because the limited edition item will only be sticking around for three weeks.

The El Maco range will be available from today, November 28, until December 22 — whether the short run will sate fans after a seven year hiatus remains to be seen.

The El Maco — comprising cheese, tomato and lettuce, sour cream and El Maco sauce with chicken or beef — will join other food items in the range, includign the iconic Shaker Fries and a couple new editions.

This time around, the burger is also available in a Crispy Jalapeno El Maco iteration, which, as the name suggests, is topped with crispy jalapenos, and is much spicier than the original.

There are also some Mozzarella Sticks, served with a breaded, deep-fried crust and a side of El Maco sauce — you know, because cheese.

Testament to the El Maco range's popularity, despite only launching today it's already making waves in the Twitterverse.

"The el maco shaker fries are back and they taste like I remember and it's amazing," one fan commented.

November 20, 2019: McDonald's UK has just launched some new menu items in time for the festive season, bringing some fan favourites back into the fold — and one item in particular has thrown the Internet into a tailspin.

No sooner than news of the return of menu favourite the Big Tasty hit, that the cult burger started trending on social media, with many loyal Maccas customers taking to Twitter in droves to share their elation over the limited-edition burger's return, as of November 20.

The happy news has heralded countless excited posts, from "Shut the front door, the big tasty is back at McDonald's tomorrow," to "I honestly can't wait to have a Big Tasty burger ASAP."

The trending burger features a beef patty, Emmental cheese, fresh tomato, lettuce, onion and 'Big Tasty' sauce. The limited-edition item can also be customised with extra bacon, or as a chicken version.

Along with the ultra-hyped burger special hitting menus, UK customers can look forward to the return of the festive Matchmakers Cool Mint McFlurry, and the decadent Cheese Melt Dippers.

9Honey have reached out to McDonald's Australia to see if we'll be getting the popular item this summer. Watch this space.

12 of 111Attribution: Getty / Twitter: @codybondarchuk

Former Maccas' employee's nugget confession wins the internet

November 18, 2019: A former McDonald's worker has recieved the Internet's wholehearted collective approval after admitting that the entire time he was an employee, he was sneakily gifting customers extra nuggets, Robin Hood-style.

Cody Bondarchuk, a Canada-based podcast producer, went viral after taking to Twitter to share his confession:

"I worked at McDonald's for two and a half years and I put 11 nuggets in almost every 10-piece I made."

Not all heroes wear capes.

The sneaky ex employee shared the revelation on November 15, and quickly garnered hundreds of thousands of likes and retweets, later admitting he'd probably "owe Ronald about $1774 (CA$1600)" after years of pinching nugs. What a guy.

In further bad news for Maccas' bottom line, the thread soon featured a host of other Mickey D's staffers who have been running the same game.

13 of 111Attribution: Supplied

Macca's introduces new chicken burger range

Macca’s has revealed a new chicken menu offering with the launch of the Classic Chicken Range, which includes the Chicken Deluxe, BBQ Chicken and Spicy Chicken Clubhouse burgers – all of which will be permanent menu items at Macca’s.

The burger trio centres on a patty made with 100% Australian Chicken Breast (available served grilled or crispy) and is crafted with a variety of premium ingredients, topped with delicious sauces and loaded with Macca’s signature flavour – to satisfy every craving!

Jo Feeney, Marketing Director at McDonald’s Australia says, “We take pride in serving a great tasting menu with a range of products that meet different customer tastes."

"The brand new Classic Chicken Range means we’re giving people more chicken options than ever before, with three burgers featuring fresh, premium ingredients alongside a 100% Australian chicken breast patty.”

Whether you’re a Chicken Deluxe, BBQ Chicken or Spicy Chicken Clubhouse lover, hurry down to your local Macca’s today and try the newest burgers on the block!

14 of 111Attribution: Supplied

McDonald's to give away iconic menu item for $1

For a limited time today, Macca’s is giving burger lovers a pretty mouthwatering deal, with an unbelievable $1 offer on its most iconic menu item, the Big Mac.

The deal comes alongside the news that Australia is the first country in the world for Macca’s to have rolled-out a series of improvements to the way the classic burger range is served, resulting in hotter, juicier, tastier burgers.

Changes include cooking the 100% Aussie beef patty with just the right sear on the grill for juicier patties, onions added at the grill for more flavour, perfectly melted cheese, softer and freshly toasted buns and even more Big Mac special sauce.

Customers can redeem their $1 Big Mac by logging into the mymacca’s app and visiting the My Rewards section.

Burger lovers need to hurry in today - the offer is only available for a limited time!

15 of 111Attribution: McDonald's

McDonald's considers expanding breakfast hours

Breakfast time at McDonald's is, arguably, the best time of the day.

So it's understandably exciting that the fast food giant is considering lengthening that little McMuffin and hotcake-filled slice of heaven, from ending at 10.30 to 11am.

Seven of the chain's restaurants in the UK are trialling the extension, where they will be serving the breakfast for that all important extra 30 minutes.

It will be a six week test in which UK Maccas lovers will have the responsibility of proving themselves worthy of that extra time - and I'm pretty certain it's going to go down a treat.

The extended breakfast period will also apply to any UberEats orders, where previously the cut-off was 10:15, and will now be 10.45.

We can only wait and see if this trial will be successful, and whether or not the change should be expected Down Under.

McFingers crossed!

16 of 111Attribution: Twitter/sentxd

Free quarter pounder giveaway causes chaos

Yesterday was World Hamburger Day, and boy was it an exciting time... for most people.

Unfortunately, it would not have been a particularly exctiing time for McDonalds employees, who were tasked with creating and giving away 250,000 quarter pounder burgers for free, leading to some pretty chaotic scenes in several busy McDonald’s outlets across the country.

In Sydney, posts on social media have captured crowds out the door as poor counter workers struggle to keep up with the demand.

As with all high volume days there has been a handful of hiccups; the kind of mistakes you’d expect when you’re forcing hundreds of casual workers paid at minimum wage to slap together burgers for ungrateful and entitled customers at break-neck speeds.

Some burgers came with two 'bottom' buns, while others arrived without any beef patties at all.

Of course, it's difficult to blame the McDonald's employees who had to put up with far more than they undoubtedly ever bargained for when signing up to work with the fast food giant.

By and large though, the campaign seemed to go off without too many hitches, which is remarkable when you consider the fact they gave away two hundred and fifty thousand free burgers.

17 of 111Attribution: Facebook/SydneyVegans

Woman's $2 Vegan Maccas hack

Another day, another desperate plea for McDonalds to include a vegan burger on their menu.

While the fast food giant has already launched the McVegan in Germany, it seems that eco-conscious foodies Down Under have been missing out on reaping the benefits of the quintessentially Aussie ‘Maccas run’… until now.

No, we can’t confirm that the golden arches will be introducing a vegan burger here quite yet, but this one woman’s McDonalds ‘hack’ is causing quite a stir online, and helping our vegan friends get a piece of the action for only $2. The Aussie woman posted her sneaky tip on a local vegan Facebook page, claiming it was a “public service announcement” for all her fellow vegans who struggle to find something to eat during a trip to McDonald’s.

“PSA for anyone looking for a cheap feed, hamburgers at Maccas are $1 at the moment and hash browns are $1 on the rewards app,” the group member said.

The photo accompanying the post shows some burger buns, stuffed with a hash brown, tomato, lettuce and topped with tomato sauce. So it seems like all you have to do is order a hamburger meal – without the patty, of course – plus a hashbrown and the extra salad.

The $1 hamburger and $1 hashbrown deals are currently available until Monday, May 6, so run, don’t walk, to your nearest McDonalds outlet to score the cheap vegan goods.

But wait, there’s more! If you’re not quite ready to take the plunge and go completely vegan, the fast food chain has recently launched the McVeggie burger in Australia, so vegetarians the nation over can rejoice and join us all in a hearty burger.

Maccas run, anyone?

18 of 111Attribution: McDonalds

Aero McFlurry returns to UK McDonalds

30th April, 2019: After four long years of waiting, McDonalds restaurants in the UK are finally binging back the mint Aero McFlurry, and it’s safe to say that the Brits are very, very excited.

The delicious desserts, which feature the classic McFlurry ice cream topped with Aero chocolate pieces and flavoured sauce, will be available in McDonald's restaurants from Wednesday 1 May so there's only a matter of days to wait.

As well as being original chocolate Aero you can also opt for mint Aero, which has a specially minty syrup, and if that wasn't enough you can also pick from two sizes - the regular size will set you back $1.80 and the mini version will cost $1.30.

While Australia is yet to see the dessert brought to Maccas across Australia, we have been lucky enough to see such concoctions as the Caramello McFlurry and the Crunchie McFlurry, so we still have it pretty okay Down Under.

19 of 111Attribution: Twitter

Unusual way Maccas customers are drinking their milkshakes

30th April, 2019: You might have already heard that McDonalds are facing backlash in the UK after replacing all their plastic straws with environmentally-friendly paper straws. Yep, you heard that right – the customers are angry because the paper straws fall to bits when they try to drink their milkshakes out of them.

With many angry UK diners taking to social media to vent their frustration at the unfortunate replacement, the issue has reached a huge audience, with many people chipping in to create solutions.

“Brings back memories when your mates used to dare you to eat a piece of paper,” one Tweet read.

One keen-minded milkshake drinker decided to get creative to solve the problem many have deemed to be a ‘fiasco’, and instead placed a plastic coffee lid over his milkshake cup to fix the gooey-straw issue.

While it may not fix the 260-million-tons-of-plastic-in-the-ocean issue, who cares about adorable little sea turtles when your Maccas milkshake is at risk?

Scroll through for all the times McDonald's took us by surprise

20 of 111Attribution: McDonalds Germany

McDonalds Germany to release McVegan Burger

April 29, 2019: Move over, Big Mac. McDonalds in Germany has just released a new burger, and this recipe has completely cut out one of the key ingredients featured in most of their other favourite menu items.

The McVegan, as the name might suggest, is a completely plant-based burger, and comes after similar products were rolled out in McDonalds locations across Sweden and Finland to great acclaim.

The new option features Nestlé’s new plant-based ‘Incredible Burger’, and consists of the meat-free patty served with mustard, ketchup, onion, tomato, and greens. At 17 grams of plant-based protein per patty, it has just as much muscle-building goodness as McDonald’s classic beef burgers, so any partakers who still want to up the ante on their gym routine need not worry.

The burger is also cooked separately from other burgers in the kitchen, in order to avoid contact with animal fat.

If you want a piece of the animal-free action, reports that the McVegan is coming to Australia have been bouncing around.

A petition called “Tell McDonald’s to bring a meat-free burger to Australia” has been making the rounds on the internet. It asks Andrew Gregory, CEO of McDonald’s Australia, to “please listen to consumer demand and do the right thing for animals and the planet.”

A spokesperson for McDonald’s Australia revealed that the major chain is listening to demands, and may yet have a few tricks up their sleeves.

"We understand there is a rising demand for vegan and vegetarian options and we are always open to suggestions from our customers. We currently have a small number of items on our menu suitable for vegan customers, and have just launched a trial of the McVeggie burger in South Australia," they told 9Honey Kitchen.

21 of 111Attribution: iStock

Thousands sign McDonald's petition to ban paper straws

26th April, 2019: Banning single use plastic straws has been a major concern over the past few years. Major food companies have started swapping them out for paper or metal alternatives.

In July last year, it was announced that Macca's will phase out plastic straws in Australia by 2020.

However, in the UK this is already a thing that's been put into action and customers aren't happy. A petition has been circulating on 38 degrees that has attracted 39,000 signatures. The petition is aimed at getting Macca's to reinstate the recently abolished plastic straws because the paper substitutes aren't up to scratch.

Some of the other reasons that were cited were the paper straws getting soggy and preventing customers from finishing their beverage.

Also that milkshakes don't seem to taste as good when consumed through paper straws.

Last year, McDonald's in the UK swapped plastic straws for paper ones in all their UK outlets.

“Reflecting the broader public debate, our customers told us they wanted to see a move on straws but to do so without compromising their overall experience when visiting our restaurants,” Paul Pomroy, the CEO of McDonald’s UK and Ireland, said at the time.